Gas Pressure Sintering of Silicon Nitride to Optimize Fracture Toughness

Abstract

Gas-pressure sintering (GPS) can be used to densify silicon nitride containing a wide variety of sintering additives. Parameters affecting the sintering behavior include densification temperature, densification time, grain growth temperature, grain growth time and heating rates. The Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}-6% Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}-2% A1{sub 2}O{sub 3} samples sintered to high densities at all conditions used in the present study, whereas the Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}-Sr{sub 2}La{sub 4}Yb{sub 4}(SiO{sub 4}){sub 6}O{sub 2} samples required the highest temperatures and longest times to achieve densities {ge}98 % T. D. The main effect on the fracture toughness for Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}-6% Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}-2% A1{sub 2}O{sub 3} samples was the use of a lower densification temperature, which was 1900C in the present study. For the Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}-Sr{sub 2}La{sub 4}Yb{sub 4}SiO4{sub 4}){sub 6}O{sub 2} composition, fracture toughness was sensitive to and improved by a slower heating rate (10c/min), a lower densification temperature (1900`), a higher grain growth temperature (2000C), and a longer grain growth time (2 h).